Guy Enriques
Regarding the proposed County Council reorganization on Tuesday, I just had a very insightful phone conversation with Guy Enriques. The councilman representing, Ka’u, Puna, and South Kona was coaching at a “kid’s camp” as he spoke to me. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that he equated the pending reorganization to a basketball game rather than the coup d’état it appears to be.
Meanwhile, I’ve been playing phone tag with Pete Hoffmann, representing Waimea, Kohala, and Waikoloa, who Hilo Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi is proposing to remove as vice chair and replace with Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole. I’ve placed several calls to what I believe is the home of Dennis “Fresh” Onishi and have left so many messages, I said this morning it was the last time I would be calling because I’m beginning to feel like a stalker. Sure hope he’s out of town because, if he is simply not returning my calls, that’s concerning that he
Dennis "Fresh" Onishi
may become the chair the County Council’s two money-related committees: Finance and the Human Services and Economic Development Committees.
Guy Enriques says he is calling for the consolidation of the Finance and the Human Services and Economic Development Committees because both are money-related and belong under one committee. He believes Dennis “Fresh” Onishi should be the one to lead that committee, well, because he should be given the chance to lead. Guy Enriques equated it to passing Dennis “Fresh” Onishi the ball.
The fact that he is proposing to strip Dominic Yagong of his current chairmanship of the Finance Committee and Brenda Ford of her Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, well, that’s basically like telling them it’s time to get out of the game and sit on the bench. It’s interesting to me that Guy Enriques is proposing he take over the committee that Brenda Ford currently leads, having told me in our phone conversation that he thinks that the committee that deals with the Department of Public Works (over Finance, Planning, Police, Fire, Civil Defense and Parks and Recreation) is one of the most important positions.
Here is a sampling of our conversation this morning:
(After I asked him the circumstances that led to the resolution he has introduced) “It’s very simple… When I decided to run for office, I had two concerns: Council being able to work together as a team. Not a lot of grumbling. We have a sense of respect. Teamwork. I’m a sports guy. Second, I have been unhappy with how the Council dealt with administration. Mot really working with one another. Those have been my two issues of concern. We are nine people. Onishi felt same way. When all nine of us got in, normally you have one or two people who want to be chair. You organize five guys and select the chair. Screw rest of four. That’s the normal way of organization. For me and Fresh, we didn’t it that. We see it as a chance to work as a team by organizing that way. It was the first time that I know of that nine people got together and organized chair. Now we’re trying to stay together as a team, by working together, having respect and building relationships. That’s our goal. This is why I thought we might be able to better situation just went through (with the resolutions that have been introduced). We just went through real tough budget session. I’m a rookie guy. I had my eyes wide open. I have understanding of what is working as a team and what is not…”
(As for how he came up with his resolution calling for a committee consolidation) “I only worked with four people. I originally talked with Fresh… we both wrote resolutions… We consulted with the Chair and I think Donald Ikeda…”
(As for combining the Finance and Human Services and Economic Development Committees and pitching for Dennis “Fresh” Onishi to lead that committee) “I think we needed a change in that department. Enough of us are not happy with issues. I have respect for Yagong. He’s one of our senior guys. He’s experienced. But he did some things that are not team work. A couple… I hate to talk about someone when they’re not in my face, he wrote a letter (to owners of properties being leased by the county calling for them to reduce the amount charged to the county.) For several others, that didn’t sit well… There was no communication beforehand and it looks like the Council making decisions… Will “Fresh” do better, well, think of it like a basketball game with five starting players… One of players is having a bad game…take him out… will (his replacement) do better, I don’t know…”
(Regarding the elimination of Emily Naeole’s chairmanship of the Human Services and Economic Development Committee) “(Doling out $1.5 million to non-profit organizations) is money issue and it should be related (to Finance)…”
(Is Emily Naeole qualified to serve as vice chair?) “I can’t answer that, that’s (Dennis “Fresh” Onishi’s) resolution. It’s up for discussion. I don’t know, I’d like to see the reasoning…”
(Asked if this was brought up when he, Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, and J Yoshimoto discussed the reorganization, the answer was yes.
(Asked if Emily Naeole could effectively run a County Council meeting in the event that J Yoshimoto is absent and she needs to cover him) “It’s a long shot,” Guy Enriques said. ”Like anything else, you’ve got to give people a shot. A lot of times, people aren’t given a shot. If Emily is the vice chair, it may be that. Could she be a leader? The people of Pahoa think she is a good leader. That’s the thing about this, can’t meet because of Sunshine Law. We’re going to have a tough budget the next go around. Do we want to handle it the same way we just did.
(Asked why he should lead the Public Works and Intergovernmental Relationships Committee) “I thought Brenda had a tough time building relationships. There was a lot of strenuous stuff. It caused a lot of friction…”
“I understand there are things in the departments that a lot of people are concerned about. I’m going back to what I’ve been telling you about working with the administration. You have to have separation, that’s important. But at the same time, you’ve got to understand your roles. You don’t go writing letters… I don’t want to see the same County Council I saw last year, the same kind of haka.kā (fighting, quarreling)… That’s why I went to Fresh and I went to J, saying there are lumps in the road we can all fix…”
(What do you think will be the reaction of Dominic Yagong, Brenda Ford, and Pete Hoffmann come Tuesday?) “I’m hoping they’re team players and say, ‘I’m having a bad day, you go in and take a shot’… if they’re not a team player… that’s fine. Give someone a chance to shoot the ball. How can you argue with that?… Give someone else a chance to succeed. It’s not about me, it’s about making the team working better.”
(Asked what to him is better) “What’s better, hopefully, is what we didn’t see with the budget… for example, with Finance. We want people putting in a resolutions hopefully that are going to pass. Work with each other, communicate, not create friction and be overpowering in a sense… Communication is one of the big things we talked about (when the nine council members had an organization meeting last fall following their election and re-election), teamwork is one of the big things we talked about. Working together is what we talked about. We need to work together because we are heading toward a tougher situation.”
People are calling and telling me this is an east-west thing, a Hilo thing. It’s not Hilo thing for me. It’s not east-west… It’s about working with the Council as close to one unit as possible, not only that, but working with administration not against them. But we have to take care of our own stuff. We have to work within the Council. If there is stuff not cool with the Council, we can’t be working outside with so much haka.kā… All nine of us, I want the best for this Council. We have to work together…”
(What about all those people who feel like there should be checks and balances between the legislative and executive branches of government and feel like Brenda Ford, Dominic Yagong and Pete Hoffmann are championing their causes?)
All I’m saying, the outcome of what we just did I’m not happy with for the specific reason I just told you. When came together as nine, talked about what wanted to do. Communication, respecting, working together, those things didn’t happen. Dominic went off on his own. That’s not working as a team. I don’t know how anyone can support that. Yes, I have concerns about (county worker) Internet use. Overbudgetting. But how we go about it is what I’m concerned about… One thing I know, I know when someone’s not playing team ball. Know when someone’s not communicating with me. Haka.kā. Those things are pretty clear if we want to look at it that way. Give me a chance, give “Fresh” a chance, how can you put us down without giving us a shot? I don’t know how Dominic going to respond. Don’t know how Brenda going to respond. I know how I would… I would acknowledge from bench can do better. That’s how team works. That’s also how life works… As far as the public, you can’t control people. I’m never worried about public opinion. You’ve got to do what’s in your heart, you’ve got to do what you feel is right. If you’re doing for the wrong reasons, saying, ‘I’m doing this for the mayor’ or ‘I’m doing this for Hilo,’ that’s not why… why I went into public office is I wanted to see a difference in the Council, how the Council works with the mayor. I wanted to see team work. If we’re going to go through another tougher budget, we’re going to need those things.”
(Asked why he sees this as a basketball game and not like the coup d’état we saw when Gary Safarik overtook the chairmanship from Jimmy Arakaki, when Stacy Higa overtook the chairmanship from Gary Safarik, when Pete Hoffmann overtook the chairmanship from Stacy Higa, and then J Yoshimoto overtook the chairmanship from Pete Hoffmann.
“We’re not changing the coach, we’re changing the players,” Guy Enriques said. ”Which is most important position? I think it is the chair…”
Having spoke with Guy Enriques, I’m thoroughly entertained. I’m very interested to hear from Dennis “Fresh” Onishi. I’d love for him to return my phone calls. I’d love to connect with Pete Hoffmann and hear what he says about the pitch for Emily Naeole to replace him as vice chair. I’m wondering Dennis “Fresh” Onishi’s line of thinking? Is he thinking like Guy Enriques in terms of this Council stuff being like a basketball game and, like Guy Enriques in the case of Brenda Ford and Dominic Yagong, believes Pete Hoffmann hasn’t been a team player? Does he think that Emily Naeole will be more of a team player? Does he think, like Guy Enriques, that it will be a “long shot” she will ever have to govern a County Council meeting in the place of J Yoshimoto? If so, isn’t that duping her to believe that she has been passed a ball in this game of winning friends and influencing people? Frankly, I don’t disagree with anything that Guy Enriques said in our conversation this morning. I do think, though, that you don’t take people out of games and put them on the bench if they are actually making baskets. I think council members should do some summer reading. My advice for them is to pick up a copy of Dale Carnegie’s book, “How To Win Friends And Influence People.”
Here is the Cliff Notes version:
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
- Give honest and sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Six ways to make people like you
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Win people to your way of thinking
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
- Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
- Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
A leader’s job often includes changing your people’s attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:
- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
- Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.
- Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
- Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Still digesting, but had to pull this serial communication out of there:
Enriquez: “I only worked with four people. I originally talked with Fresh… we both wrote resolutions… We consulted with the Chair and I think Donald Ikeda…”
Query re Sunshine Law:
Is it true that more than 2 Council members can meet out of session and without public notice for and only for Council reorganization?
If so, is changing the number of committees the same as “reorganization”? Or, is “reorganization” only change of Chairs and Vice Chairs?
Resolution 202 changes the number of committees.
How many people “talked with Fresh” and “consulted with the Chair and …Donald Ikeda” regarding Resolution 202?
June 14th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Again, gotta digest more.
However, succumbing to the sports analogizing…
Who is the “coach”?
Yoshimoto? Or, is he team captain?
hmmm…
The “coach” calls the plays, puts in the subs and pulls a player off the court to gather her/him self and be ready to go back in for the team. Sometimes players get sent to the showers. Any of that here?
Who is the coach?
Who is on first? oops, wrong game
June 14th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I read that he wants the council to all work together as a team. Oh, but not really. Only some of them.
Disfunctional as always. Is this like kids on a playground, or gangs in a turf war?
Kim
June 14th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
[...] Edwards Hunt was able to talk to Councilman Guy Enriques here about the proposed council committee changes. Guy’s basketball coaching analogy to explain [...]
June 14th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Mr. Enriques will find out soon enough that the coach of the county council is We The People who put this team together. Each player is put on the team by the 17,000 residents of their respective districts, so this sport requires nine players to be on the field at all times. Yes. the coach is the only one who can “bench” any member of this team and that’s why we have elections. Guy must be teaching his kids that when the new freshman gets on the team thanks to his rich, politically-connected uncles, then the new freshman gets to make all the decisions for the team, even if it means the coach and the whole team will have a losing season as a result.
June 14th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Yes, it is true that four, which is less than a quorum of five, county council members can meet to come up with a pilau plan like this. The reason for the confusion is because the Hoffmann county council had decided that no more than two county council members could meet without public oversight to provide assurance that they were being open and transparent. Notice how good ole boys disappeared for awhile while the light was shining? Unfortunately, the Yoshimoto “team” apparently likes to work in the dark where the public cannot see.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
It’s 9 p.m., Sunday and I have placed six calls to Dennis Onishi’s home phone to no avail. I know it’s his number because the voice on the message is the same one that I heard on the radio when Fresh was campaigning. I have one email so far telling me how he is a patron of Korean bars, what goes down in that setting, how he acts in that setting, and basically how he is totally unqualified to handle all the Council’s money matters… I had an excellent phone interview with Pete Hoffmann to share with you, but Advanced Wireless is not cooperating with me to use the computer on which I typically write my blog entries. Pete Hoffmann says the County Clerk and Chair J Yoshimoto paid him a visit to Waimea last week to talk with him about overtaking the committee chairmanships of Brenda Ford and Dominic Yagong. He wasn’t in favor of that plan, so he presumes this resolution from Dennis “Fresh” Onishi is in retaliation. My imagination is running wild, not being able to get a hold of all the key players this weekend. I can’t help imagine a bunch of kingpins smoking cigars making a plan
to take over the island in a Korean bar. Is that really how it all goes down? Do I need to go undercover as a Korean hostess or what?
June 15th, 2009 at 5:18 am
Re:
“Hoffmann county council had decided that no more than two county council members could meet without public oversight”
No, my understanding is the ‘two’ number comes from State (if not the State Sunshine law, then the State Office of Information Practices).
Tiff,
Please help me out here.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Still doing reporting but I have a feeling they skirted the Sunshine Law by having Guy and Fresh work together and then Donald Ikeda worked with the County Clerk (they like to get together and smoke cigars). J Yoshimoto was an innocent bystander as he is claiming to be, except for the fact that he drove with the County Clerk to Waimea last week to try and convince Pete to join in the effort to overthrow Pete and Brenda. These folks may claim to be upholding the Sunshine Law, but they are certainly in violation of the spirit. They just can’t seem to get the fact that they are public servants and must conduct their business in public. This should be reported to the Office of Information Practices on mere principle. I have little faith OIP will rule there is a violation, however. There seems to be a growing sentiment that the Sunshine Law is an imposition for elected officials. I myself am growing weary of Groundhog Day. This is the kind of stuff that used to happen but council members meeting behind closed doors were a little more clever than they are now. Now it just looks so laughable, it’s pathetic.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:05 am
I find it utterly fascinating how politics is played by the Good Ol Boy Hilo network.
It reminds me of Gore Vidal’s quote on his definition of “Politics”. He said the word is derived from the Latin “Poli” meaning many and “tics” a blood sucking insect.
I have never heard a truer definition.
Reminds me of the Kona hot tub party Arakaki, Ikeda, Higa, and Safarick were reported to have had. But now its rumored to be going on in Korean bars, ugh!!
June 15th, 2009 at 7:29 am
OMG, Anon, that hot tub part you described sounds horrific, but not surprising.
I refer back to my comment in a previous blog entry, about what this is really about, this power-grabbing. To them, it’s about preserving Old Hawaii. But in their daily actions and decisions, they are really just selling Hawaii out. Haoles are outsiders and a threat to local culture. I would love for Dennis “Fresh” Onishi to call me back. I want to ask him if it is true what I’ve heard, that he tells people after sucking down a few, “For a haole, you’re not so bad.” Not very good leadership quality, buddy. Please call me back and counter these claims.
This is the 21st century in Hawaii and haoles are here to stay. You can’t round us up and put us in relocation camps in retaliation for the mistakes of America’s past. Hawaii wants to be the 50th state, so embrace the democratic principles of US government. Stop doing business in Hot tubs and Korean bars.
Oh, and stream your meetings live on the Internet, so public business can be conducted in the light of the day… You folks are digging your own graves. You left to many dangling participles in this proposed reorganization. The public has caught you with your pants down and we are not impressed with your assets. Get out of the hot tub and stop making “deals.”. Learn how to write legislation and shape public policy.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Well I agree with you Tiff, but you are being theoretical here I’m afraid.
Politics is a dirty business with many ‘blows below the belt.’ That is why Guy’s Sports Analogies are so amusing.
Anyone who watches sports on TV KNOWS cheating goes on. That is why they have referees, and penalties.
I’d really like to know who is the referee in the County Council? My answer it is us the voting public.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Politics; show business for ugly people.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:52 am
For the record, the OIP has already ruled that serial one-on-one communications within the County Council is illegal:
http://www.state.hi.us/oip/opinionletters/opinion%2005-15.pdf
June 15th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Tiffany
A lot of us appreciate your courage, insight, and engagement in the political process. However, it would seem that putting racial/cultural labels into the mix only detracts from our goal of functional participatory politics, which must be pursued solely in terms of policy. Those other things divide and detract from the discussion. If there is a case of malfeasance, it must stand on its own injustice.
Nonetheless, thanks for your efforts!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Just in from County Clerk Kenny Goodenow (my child crying in the background in the middle of our conversation, sorry, Kenny), he did go to Waimea last week with Chairman J Yoshimoto to confer with Pete Hoffmann as the vice chair. J told Pete that several council members had approached him saying they had enough votes for a reorganization and consolidation of committees. “He wanted ask Pete’s advice about it.”
“Two people had talked to him,” Kenny Goodenow clarified it was Guy Enriques and Dennis “Fresh” Onishi. And J wanted to talk with Pete about that… I had to console my baby and he had to go to a meeting, but hopefully we can talk again later today…
June 15th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I love you Tiffany!
Mahalo for your persistence!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Peter S.,
Mahalo nui loa.
Your link addressed exactly the point I raised.
Now, I email the Office of Information Practices and ask they become involved.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Darren,
I am merely pointing out that race and culture are the key to this “identity politics” we are seeing. I’m not going to ignore the elephant in the room, sorry, and with all due respect. If you see things differently, that this is not in essence about race and culture, by all means feel free to elaborate and enlighten. I do admit that I’ve gotten a little crass to illustrate my point. Please see beyond that and continue the discourse. Best, Tiffany
… “Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. discussed identity politics extensively in his book The Disuniting of America. Schlesinger, a strong supporter of liberal conceptions of civil rights, argues that a liberal democracy requires a common basis for culture and society to function.
In his view, basing politics on group marginalization fractures the civil polity, and therefore works against creating real opportunities for ending marginalization. Schlesinger believes that movements for civil rights should aim toward full acceptance and integration of marginalized groups into the mainstream culture, rather than, in his view, perpetuating that marginalization through affirmations of difference.
Others counter that the intolerant homogeneity of mainstream culture is precisely the fact that makes full acceptance impossible, and that social justice movements should aim not toward integration but rather multicultural pluralism, without recourse to the types of oppressive homogeneity now at play…” — “Identity politics” in Wikipedia
June 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I agree with Tiff about merely stating facts about being called haoles allegedly by some members of the current (and past) County Council.
It is what it is might as well get it into the public discourse.
If the different ethnic groups could accept haoles as part of the cultural stew life for all would be much better.
While employed by Recycle Hawaii as a recycle attendant, I had several instances of almost being beaten up just because I tried to educate some locals not to dump just plain garbage in the scrap metal and yard green waste recycle bins at the Kea`au Transfer Station. I was repeated called a “f*ckin haole”, spit on, poked at, had the most foul language used, and threatened with 2×4s. I was urged to call the police, but chalked it up to experience instead.
There is simply no excuse for that racist behavior, none what so ever.
I find it sadly ironic that my parents came to this country in 1901, AFTER the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy yet I get blamed for that sad event – just because of the color of my skin.
Crazy!
Sad
Yet for all its flaws THIS Island is STILL the best place on earth.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Charlie,
Thanks. Your treatment at KRC is not acceptable.
It is a violation of civil rights.
Hawaii Island is the best place on earth.
That is not an excuse to condone violation of anyone’s civil rights. Indeed, we on this rock are blessed with something so special that we must feel obligated to treat each other in an extra special manner that is about respecting each other as human beings.
The uncles and aunties at Makuu have inspired me with what real aloha is — what I have known in another culture as being good neighbors and caring.
The thugs, like you encountered at KRC, who use race as an excuse to be bullies are not like that. There are strong parallels between those cowards and the redneck racists in my Ole Kentucky Home.
As Rodney King said, “Can’t we all just get along?”
June 15th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Aloha James
Yes that is my point exactly, I have found that idiocy has no race.
I did not call them thugs.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Tiff, James, et.al. What a breath of fresh air!
Of course this is an attempted coup. Think about it, two brand new ‘baby’ councilmembers, want to get rid of three of the most effective members of the council. The analogy is a rigged sports game, and while they are hi fiving each other, they think we’re watching their hands…
Wrong boys, way wrong. You may be watching your hands, we are watching how you use our money. The three councilmembers you’ve targeted, Brenda, and Peter, and Dominic, WORK to make the operation of county government open, accessible, accountable to the people, to do ‘good business’ for the people. Oh! They are respected. Hmmm… RESPECT! That is something you earn.
Keep it up Tiff. This is sounding more like what a newspaper should be about.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
“..in essence about race and culture” ?
No. I don’t see this as such, particularly in public policy discourse. Implications of bigotry or whatever names people want to call is far from the essence of democracy. Such an approach simply isn’t constructive.
Mahalo for your efforts.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
[...] I was reading the reader comments to this latest blog entry on Big Island Chronicle. As far as I can decipher, council chair J Yoshimoto went up to Waimea to [...]
June 15th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I can understand that Tiffany is not really able to see this coup from an objective point of view. Emily Naeole was her former employer — but really Tiff I think you go so far out to portray a business as usual scenario — it does not hold up under the light of day. See my comments about what is going on at margaretwille.com; my blog of today on this subject is as follows:
On December 1, 2008 when J Yoshimoto was sworn in as Council member and Chair of the Council, he borrowed Mayor-to-be Kenoi’s mantra of “together we can and together we will” – he stressed “leadership” and “pono” (rightness, fairness and balance). Yet shortly thereafter he began a concerted effort to undermine those very principles – so as to legislate by dictatorship – as the feudal lord of his Eastside Hawaii fiefdom. “Divide and control”: that should be his new mantra. And we should all be impressed with how successful he has been. First he pulled Dominic Yagong away from supporting Pete Hoffman for Chair (Yagong being the swing vote at that time). And last week he sought to coax Pete Hoffmann into joining his coup to oust Brenda Ford and Dominic Yagong. Last Wednesday he and his sidekick Council Clerk Kenny Goodenow paid a visit to Pete Hoffmann to “size up” Hoffmann. Of course he did not mention to Pete Hoffmann that if he did not immediately jump on the anti-Yagong and anti-Ford bandwagon, his days of being Vice Chair of the Council would be less than three “business” days. Then again, even if Hoffmann had agreed to participate in the coup against Yagong and Ford, his days as Vice Chair would most likely have been been numberd (just numbered in weeks, rather than in days).
I am wondering whether our unscrupulous Council Chair Yoshimoto and his attorney Clerk Kenny Goodenow violated the Sunshine laws or related ethics rules. Yoshimoto told Hoffmann “I already have 5 votes (to oust Yagong and Ford)”. It would be interesting to hear him explain how he could figure out he had 5 votes – without violating the Sunshine Law principles.
Sad that our Council Chair has no “pono” or “sunshine ethics” principles and has not even admited his key role in this coup.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:16 am
“Sound Bytes” from today’s meeting are being posted live on my blog by Kohala Attorney Margaret Wille.
http://damontucker.com
June 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Thanks to Damon and Margaret for the Twitter arrangements. Sorry, readers, my husband was not into me taking our child over to Kona or in to Hilo to the County Council meeting ,and I just can’t see getting a babysitter for this. It really is very disappointing that our County Council is even wasting time and money on this petty power play. I am at Jeff Hunt Surfboards working in the back at this very moment, about to upload photos of the Pahoa Protest against Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long’s Drugs that went on this morning and will continue throughout the day. I’m also about to post comments made to me by Pete Hoffmann about the “gamesmanship” going on with our freshman lawmakers.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Actually, I wish it was twitter.
She is posting them via an “Email Account” that I set up directly for this. Many blogs have the capability of remote posting via email. (I just hope she doesn’t get pissed off at the meeting and starts swearing up a storm… hahahah)
She is actually in Waimea watching it via video conference… then sending me the sound bytes.
Funny thing is… in order for her to watch it via video conferencing… it’s probably being sent via an internet based platform.
Ms. Wille is not a twitter user yet. I hope she will be soon though.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
[...] he reads this blog, there are some points to clarify in the statement Guy Enriques made a couple days back, offering his perspective for introducing the legislation he did to consolidate [...]
June 16th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
[...] d’états on the County Council, but none where we have so plainly observed a council member being duped into thinking she has gained a leadership position, when in fact she has lost the ability to chair [...]
June 19th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
[...] same day. It was then that she discovered the three resolutions introduced by freshman councilors Guy Enriques and Dennis “Fresh” Onishi. Upon reviewing the resolutions, she placed yet another [...]
June 24th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
[...] Guy Enriques and Emily Naeole made statements to me that indicated they didn’t like that Dominic Yagong, [...]
June 25th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
[...] stroking Emily’s ego, making her feel important by giving her a leadership position and, as Guy Enriques said himself, thinking it is “a long shot” that she will ever actually run a Council meeting. [...]